The Volkswagen Group Works Council and the child rights agency “terre des hommes” are helping to improve future prospects for children and young people in poor districts of Brazil with the “A chance to play” initiative. The project was officially launched on Friday in the country hosting the 2014 football World Cup. “A chance to play” supports sports, learning and training projects for several thousand girls and boys. The programme’s patrons include musician Peter Maffay and former professional football player Giovane Elber. 

As the programme kicked off, the Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft for Human Resources, Dr. Horst Neumann, underscored: ‘For the Volkswagen Group, entrepreneurial initiative and social responsibility are inextricably linked. Volkswagen is supporting Brazil’s development by investing billions and is at the same time committed to many social projects. One new and outstanding example is “A chance to play”.’

The Chairman of the Volkswagen Group Works Council, Bernd Osterloh, said: ‘“A chance to play” is a strong expression of international solidarity on the part of the Volkswagen workforce. As employees of a global carmaker we are very aware of our social responsibility. Together with local organisations we will be implementing aid projects to the tune of two million euros.’

Josef-Fidelis Senn, Vice President for Human Resources at Volkswagen do Brasil, emphasised Volkswagen’s decades-long commitment in Brazil: ‘For 33 years, our Fundação Volkswagen social foundation has testified to our social responsibility and to our support for education and social development. The Fundação has already reached out to one million school children with its educational projects. “A chance to play” is a very welcome addition to this work.’

The distinguished ambassadors of “A chance to play” include musician Peter Maffay, who is a member of the board of trustees of ‘Volkswagen Belegschaftsstiftung’ (Volkswagen Employees’ Foundation). Maffay said: ‘The foundation will also play a part in the success of “A chance to play”. For me, it is a point of honour to gain a first-hand impression of the projects. That means I spend several days with my colleagues from the Group Works Council and “terre des homes” visiting the local initiatives.’

The Volkswagen Works Council and the child rights agency “terre des hommes” launched
“A chance to play” in 2010 on the occasion of the football World Cup in South Africa. The initiative is committed to helping children in need at Volkswagen locations all over the world. In South Africa, it reached out to over 50,000 children. To mark the 2014 World Cup, it is supporting 14 projects to fight child poverty in Brazil, reaching out to 60,000 children. The projects include aid for a crèche in a slum area as well as anti-violence training in poor districts.

More luxury for less with New Volkswagen Touareg R-Line

Volkswagen has created an even more sumptuous version of the upmarket Touareg SUV, with the introduction of the new Touareg R-Line.  Based on the already well-equipped Touareg Altitude, the Touareg R-Line adds luxurious extra equipment and unique R-Line styling cues, together worth over £4,000, for a premium of just £750.

The Touareg R-Line sits on 20-inch ‘Tarragona’ alloy wheels with 275/45 R20 tyres, while the distinctive front and rear bumpers and side skirts give an even more purposeful look, added to by R-Line badges on the front wings.  Standard bi-xenon headlights with dynamic curve lighting and LED daytime running lights give the R-Line driver a commanding view of the road, and are complemented by LED rear lights and number-plate lights.

Stepping into the cabin – over the bespoke R-Line sill plates – both passengers and drivers will appreciate the extra light which floods into the spacious cabin through the standard full-length panoramic electric sliding glass sunroof.  Also standard is keyless entry and start – provided the key is in the vehicle, the Touareg R-Line starts at the touch of a button – and an electrically powered tailgate that makes for effortless loading and unloading.

Like every Touareg, the R-Line also comes with leather upholstery, a satellite navigation and audio system with eight-inch full-colour touchscreen, DAB, Bluetooth and MDI multi-device interface for iPods, 2Zone climate control, a Stop/Start system and battery regeneration, to help maximise fuel efficiency.

The Touareg R-Line is available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox paired to a
3.0-litre V6 diesel engine with either 204 PS, for £44,025, or 245 PS, for £45,645
RRP OTR.

Sophisticated Volkswagen CC now better value than ever

Those seeking even sleeker luxury motoring are also in for a treat this winter, with the lowering of prices across the CC range.  The price of every CC model in the range is now at least £470 lower than last year, meaning you can get behind the wheel of a CC from just £24,050 (RRP OTR). 

Those opting for the best-selling CC GT 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS version (with either manual or DSG gearbox) will now get even better value, too, with prices for this model down by a total of £1,320, thanks to the removal of ACC Adaptive Chassis Control, which now becomes a £850 option.  ACC remains standard on the CC GT 2.0-litre TDI 170 PS and CC GT 2.0-litre TSI 210 PS, and is optional on all other models.

The Touareg R-Line and the CC are both on sale now.  For more information visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.

Wolfsburg / Silao, January 16, 2013: Volkswagen is further extending its commitment to industry in North America. The engine plant in Silao in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato was opened today. The new factory is the Volkswagen Group’s 100^th plant worldwide. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña, the Governor of the state of Guanajuato, Miguel Marquez, and Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. The factory will supply Volkswagen’s North American vehicle plants in Puebla/Mexico and Chattanooga/USA with modern and fuel-efficient TSI engines produced locally in Silao.

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, commented: ‘The Silao factory is the Volkswagen Group’s 100^th plant and therefore represents one of the largest and most international production networks in the automotive industry. With this new plant we are driving our ambitious major North American offensive forward. Over the next three years the Volkswagen Group will be investing more than USD five billion in North America alone. Silao is thus also a strong symbol of our uninterrupted growth trajectory and the Group’s continuing internationalisation.’

Strengthening its market position in North America is an essential component of the Volkswagen Group’s global growth strategy. In this context, the company is planning annual sales of one million vehicles in the USA alone from 2018 based on models such as the Jetta, the Beetle and the new US Passat tailored to the demands of US customers which are produced at the North American plants with a high degree of localisation.

With the start of engine production in Silao, Volkswagen is continuing its success story in Mexico that already spans almost 60 years. Along with the Volkswagen plant in Puebla, the MAN commercial vehicles plant in Querétaro and the planned Audi vehicle plant in San José Chiapa scheduled to begin production in 2016, the Group remains a key growth driver for Mexican industry.

In future, Silao will supply the North American vehicle plants in Puebla und Chattanooga with the latest generation of fuel-efficient TSI engines. The plant is designed for a medium-term annual capacity of 330,000 units. Investment runs at USD 550 million. Volkswagen will be creating over 700 new jobs at the 60 hectare plant in Silao in the medium term. Further jobs in the region will also be created at suppliers and in the service sector.

Engine production in Silao meets the high environmental standards of the Volkswagen brand’s ‘Think Blue. Factory’ programme. The aim of this programme is to make more efficient use of resources and to achieve a sustained reduction in production-related emissions at all Volkswagen plants. As a result, all manufacturing equipment in Silao complies with the latest energy efficiency standards, thus achieving a significant reduction in the environmental impact of each produced engine. Special rooflights in the production halls, for example, combined with energy-efficient lighting throughout the facility ensure optimum natural light levels and simultaneously absorb the heat generated by the lighting system. The improved-performance TSI engines (EA 888) from Silao combine fuel economy and improved emissions with lower weight.

The CEO of Volkswagen de México, Andreas Hinrichs, drew attention to the Mexican automotive industry’s growth path in 2012 and to Volkswagen’s contribution consisting of over 600,000 vehicles produced in the country. ‘For us, Silao is a big step towards the future. Volkswagen is once again generating strong momentum for growth and employment in the Mexican automotive industry.’

Volkswagen de México currently builds four models for world markets at the Puebla plant. These are the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf Estate, Beetle and Beetle Cabrio. A total of 604,000 vehicles were manufactured in Puebla in 2012. Production of the US Passat developed specifically for the American market began in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2011. Over 150,000 vehicles already left the assembly line there in 2012.

The Volkswagen Group delivered 165,900 (2011: 153,300)* vehicles to customers in Mexico in 2012. The Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, Porsche, Bentley and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands therefore recorded an 8.2 per cent* year-on-year rise.

Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk